THE WISE MAN'S FEAR AND THE FOOL'S.
1. The appearances by which the mind of man is smitten with the first
aspect of a thing as it approaches the soul, are not matters of the
will, nor can we control them; but by a certain force of their own the
objects which we have to comprehend are borne in upon us. But that
ratification of them, which we name assent, whereby the appearances are
comprehended and judged, these are voluntary, and are done by human
choice. Wherefore at a sound from the heavens, or from the downfall of
something, or some signal of danger, or anything else of this kind, it
must needs be that the soul of the philosopher too shall be somewhat
moved, and he shall shrink and grow pale; not through any opinion of
evil that he has formed, but through certain rapid and unconsidered
motions that forestall the office of the mind and reason. Soon, however,
that philosopher doth not approve the appearances to be truly objects
of terror to his soul, that is to say, he assents not to them nor
ratifies them; but he rejects them, and casts them out; nor doth there
seem to be in them anything that he should fear. But in this, say the
philosophers, doth the wise man differ from the fool,--that the fool
thinks the appearances to be in truth even so harsh and rough as they
seemed at their first shock upon the soul; and taking them, as at first,
to be rightly dreaded, he thus ratifies and approves them by his assent.
The philosopher, however, though for a short time his color and
countenance have been changed, doth not then assent, but he retains in
its steadfastness and vigor the opinion he ever had of these
appearances, that they are in no wise to be feared, but affright only by
a false show and empty threat.
2. Such as is a dish of water, such is the soul; such as is the ray of
light that falleth on the same, such are the appearances. When the water
is moved, then the ray seemeth also to be moved; but it is not moved.
And thus when a man's mind is darkened and dizzy, it is not doctrines
and virtues that are confounded, but the spirit on which they are
impressed. And if that is restored, so are they.[2]